


Prohibited Festivity

by Minuete



Series: Advent Calendar Prompts [14]
Category: The X-Files
Genre: Advent calendar prompt, Day 14, Early MSR, F/M, Flirting, Mistletoe, Season 3, UST
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-14
Updated: 2018-12-14
Packaged: 2019-09-18 04:20:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 928
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16987929
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Minuete/pseuds/Minuete
Summary: Set during season 3.  Scully calls out Mulder’s festive activity.





	Prohibited Festivity

**Author's Note:**

> From Tumblr only-txf-fanart’s Philes Xmas Advent Calendar Prompt Day 14: mistletoe

“Ugh! We get it! No mistletoe at work!” Mulder groaned when he stepped on a flyer that was slipped under the office door while he and Scully went to lunch. He stooped down and crumpled up the offending item before tossing it into the trash.

Meanwhile, Scully watched amused as she hung her coat and scarf, and situated herself by her work station. There was a stack of paperwork she had to complete before the holiday break. “This is the tenth flyer, Scully. The damn building is inundated with these flyers about appropriate holiday season etiquette in the workplace and prohibition of mistletoe.”

  
“Well, to be fair, Mulder, the FBI did have to settle an undisclosed amount to a former employee who claimed sexual harassment during the last holiday season in the White Collar Crimes Division regarding mistletoe.”

  
Mulder plopped himself on the desk chair and booted up the ancient hardware of a computer. He leaned back and swiveled the chair to face Scully as he waited for the computer to warm up. “Did you know that hanging mistletoe above a doorway derived from ancient Nordic customs? They believed that it warded away evil spirits.” She turned her chair towards him.

  
“I know that they’re parasitic plants that feed off the nutrients and water of their hosts causing disfigurement and eventual death.”

  
“Well, Scully, not only did they believe that it warded away evil spirits, but it helped foster love and life based upon a Norse myth regarding Frigga, the Goddess of Love, and her son Baldur who was prophesied to die. She consulted with almost every single living thing and creature on earth to not bring harm to her son, except for the mistletoe. Loki knew of this oversight and had the blind god Hodor shoot and kill Baldur during archery practice with an arrow laced with mistletoe. The gods brought Baldur back to life, and Frigga blessed the mistletoe with her tears. And _that_ is how the hanging of the mistletoe made its way into Christmas, and why people must kiss because they’re acknowledging a Norse God while celebrating the fake birthday of Baby Jesus with a lit-up tree, which by the way is another Pagan tradition.”

  
Scully hummed and pursed her lips to refrain from smirking. She didn’t need to encourage more snark from Mulder. He glanced over at the monitor and swiveled towards the keyboard to log in.

  
“Did you ever have to deal with hanging mistletoe, Scully? Avoided standing under a doorframe with another person?” Scully thoughtfully considered before answering.

  
“I do recall getting a huge wet kiss by my great-Aunt Mairead when I was a little girl.” She smiled sheepishly at another memory, “and I may have intentionally stood under one when I wanted a kiss from a middle school crush at a party, and again in high school. But perfunctory kisses were given over the years from friends’ holiday parties I attended complete with ugly sweater competitions. How about you, Mulder?”

  
“People always seem to have an aunt in their family that would be the kissing monster, huh? Mine was Aunt Sarah who would dish out wet kisses under the mistletoe whenever we traveled to Vermont to attend the Mulder Christmas gathering. I chastely kissed my dates at winter formals under a mistletoe—“

  
“ _Chastely_ kissed?” Mulder held his hands up as if in surrender in jest.

  
“My mother raised me up as a proper New England boy, Scully,” he responded placing his hands down on the arm rests. “Then while at Oxford, I had been a recipient of kisses from female acquaintances under archways wherever mistletoe were placed.” Scully smiled a knowing smile.

  
“Admit it, Mulder. You’re sad to hear there’s no more hanging mistletoe at work.”

  
“I admit nothing.”

  
Scully hummed still eying Mulder as he looked over at the monitor, using the mouse with his right hand while his left hand grabbed a pen that he started to fidget with. “I’m not the profiler here, Mulder, but I think I have you figured out.”

  
Mulder looked at her, and propped his left elbow on the armrest. He started to chew on the pen cap, a nervous habit, yet his eyes were challenging Scully to continue. She had his full attention.

  
“I’m listening.”

  
“I believe, Mulder, that you never minded finding yourself under a mistletoe in this building. I also want to say that it’s one of the few times out of the year that you would venture out of your cubicle dwelling during your time in BSU and VCS to partake in the festive holiday tradition. Perhaps, even in the first year of our partnership, you ‘coincidentally’ found yourself to be a willing participant to receive kisses from the secretarial pool. I do recall you frequenting the printer room during _that_ holiday season.” Mulder grinned as he continued chewing the pen cap, his eyes gleaming.

  
“A gentleman doesn’t kiss and tell, Scully.” She arched an eyebrow and smirked.

  
“And, if I were to wager a guess, I believe that you were waiting to see if I would ever hang a mistletoe in this office. If _I_ would be so forward, since your New England upbringing refrains you from doing so—ever the gentleman, Mulder.” Scully slowly swiveled her chair to face her station, but looked behind her shoulder towards him.

  
She sighed and shrugged, “It’s a shame, really. Now you’ll never know.” She smiled coyly at him drawing out the desired effect. Mulder stopped chewing his pen cap and gaped. She turned her attention towards her stack of paperwork.

 

 


End file.
